Diocese of Scranton www.dioceseofscranton.org News Briefing Vol. 9 #4 3/21/2013 In This Issue Diocese Joins Universal Church To Celebrate Election of Pope Francis Holy Week Services To Commemorate Passion of Our Lord Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land MISSION STATEMENT We, the Catholic community of the Diocese of Scranton, are called through Baptism to imitate the servant leadership of Jesus Christ. In union with our Holy Father, the Pope, we proclaim the Gospel faithfully, celebrate the sacraments joyfully, and boldly promote life, justice and peace in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania. The Light Is On For You Take Action: HHS Mandate Violates Religious Liberty Diocesan Tribunal Available for Presentations Office for Parish Life CTV Now on Channel 97 in Hazleton Area Mark Your Calendar Real Estate Availability Subscribe to News Briefing Diocese Joins Universal Church To Celebrate Election of Pope Francis The Diocese of Scranton joins with faithful throughout the world to celebrate the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Francis. TheMost Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, issued this statement: "The election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 265 th Successor of St. Peter is joyful news. In calling forth Pope Francis to serve as Bishop of Rome and the visible head of the universal Church, God has blessed us with a leader who reflects deeply what it means to be Servant of the servants of God. Known both for his intellectual talents and pastoral ability, Pope Francis is a man of great humility, deeply committed to Christ's teaching, with a particular sensitivity to the plight of the poor. As a leader dedicated to renewal and the work of evangelization, Pope Francis' actions and words have long served as examples of Christ's selfless love for all people, ensuring a sense of welcome, respect and care for all. His Latin American roots are a beautiful sign to the world of the universal nature of the Church and a powerful invitation to unity among all Catholics. I join with the faithful of the Diocese of Scranton and from around the world in praying that God will bless and sustain Pope Francis as he leads the Church,
calling each of us to be faithful witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus." The Diocesan website features a special page on Pope Francis that includes stories about his election and inauguration, and video of the Mass celebrated by Bishop Bambera in gratitude for the Holy Father. Please visit the page at Pope Francis. Holy Week Services To Commemorate Passion of Our Lord Holy Week services throughout the Diocese of Scranton, which recall the passion and death of Jesus Christ, will begin Palm Sunday, March 24. The Masses on Palm Sunday will include the blessing and distribution of palm branches, which play a symbolic role on this day since they were first used to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem. The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, will celebrate the Pontifical Liturgy at 12:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton. This Mass will begin in the Cathedral Prayer Garden with a blessing of palms and a Gospel reading, followed by a procession into the Cathedral. Palm Sunday Masses at the Cathedral will also be celebrated at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 6:30 and 10 a.m., and 5 p.m. on Sunday. In addition, at 7:00 p.m. the Cathedral Choir will offer "Tenebrae: Song of the Shadows." Tenebrae, the Latin word for "shadows," is a prayer service that utilizes scripture and song to retell the story of Christ's passion and death. The ceremony includes seven readings. After each reading, one of seven lit candles is extinguished. Those gathered leave in silence when the service concludes after the Gospel account of the crucifixion with the "hiding" of the seventh candle - symbolizing the burial of Christ in the tomb. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, Masses at the Cathedral will be celebrated at 6:30 and 8:00 a.m., and 12:10 p.m. Confessions will be heard Monday, March 25, 7:30 to 7:50 a.m., and 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.; Tuesday, March 26, 7:30 to 7:50 a.m.; Wednesday, March 27, 7:30 to 7:50 a.m.; Good Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.and Holy Saturday, March 30, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Priests serving throughout the Diocese will gather at the Cathedral on Tuesday, March 26, at 4:00 p.m. for the Solemn Pontifical Mass of the Chrism, at which the Holy Oils used during the conferral of sacraments throughout the Church year will be blessed. Bishop Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist. Bishop Emeritus James C. Timlin and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus John M. Dougherty will concelebrate the Mass along with all priests from the Diocese. During this Mass, priests and deacons, along with lay representatives from diocesan parishes, acknowledge the Bishop's role as the unifying symbol for Church governance and pastoral guidance. Priests will renew their ordination promises. After Mass, they will receive the holy Chrism, Oil of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, which will be used in the celebration of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, the Anointing of the Sick, and the rites of the Catechumenate. The deacons of the Diocese will assist in the blessing of the holy oils. The three most sacred days of the Church's liturgical year, known as the Sacred Paschal Triduum, begin on Holy Thursday, March 28, with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. In the Triduum (Latin for "three days"), the Church solemnly celebrates the greatest mysteries of our redemption, keeping by means of special celebrations the memorial of the Lord, crucified, buried and risen. Holy Thursday marks the day on which Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priestly Order and gave us the commandment concerning fraternal charity. At the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Morning
Prayer will be at 8:00 a.m. The Pontifical Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper will begin at 5:30 p.m. Bishop Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist. During the Mass, there will be the rite of the Washing of Feet, which re-enacts Christ's washing of the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. Following this Mass there will be the transfer of the Most Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose. Adoration will then continue until 9:00 p.m., when Night Prayer will be held. On Good Friday, March 29, and the following day (up to the Easter Vigil Mass), by a most ancient tradition, the Church does not celebrate the sacraments at all, except for Penance and Anointing of the Sick. At the Cathedral, Morning Prayer for Good Friday will be at 8:00 a.m. The Pontifical Celebration of the Passion of the Lord by Bishop Bambera will begin at 12:10 p.m. This solemn liturgy consists of three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, the Adoration of the Cross, and Holy Communion. The Reverend Philip A. Altavilla, pastor of the Cathedral of Saint Peter, will serve as homilist. In addition, the Stations of the Cross will be prayed at 5:30 p.m. Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence. Holy Saturday, March 30, is the day that the Church waits at the Lord's tomb in prayer, meditating on his passion and death and on his descent into hell, and awaiting his resurrection. Morning Prayer will be at 8:00 a.m. at the Cathedral. The blessing of Easter Baskets will take place at 1:00 p.m. in the Cathedral. The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, by most ancient tradition, is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Exodus 12:42), in which following the Gospel admonition (Luke 12:35-37), the faithful, carrying lighted lamps in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when he returns, so that at his coming he may find them awake and have them at his table. This night's vigil is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities in the Church. Although celebrated entirely at night, this Mass of the Vigil is the first Mass of the Sunday of the Resurrection, and it is the center of the Sacred Paschal Triduum. Bishop Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral, beginning at 8:00 p.m. This liturgy is arranged in four parts: 1) the Lucernarium (a service of light) and Easter Proclamation; 2) the Liturgy of the Word, in which the Church meditates on the wonders God has done for his people from the beginning, trusting in his word and promise; 3) the Liturgy of Baptism and Confirmation in which new members of the Church are reborn; and 4) the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which the Church is called to the table the Lord has prepared for his people, the memorial of his death and resurrection until he comes again. On the Holy Night of Easter, 100 people, who have participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), will become fully initiated Catholics by the celebration of their Baptism, Confirmation, and reception of the Eucharist for the first time. This will take place at various Easter Vigil Masses celebrated in parishes throughout the Diocese. They join tens of thousands of other individuals throughout the world who will become members of the Church that night. Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord is the most joyous day in the Church year. This joy overflows into the 50 days of the Easter season, which ends at Pentecost. On Easter Day, March 31, Bishop Bambera will celebrate a Pontifical Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral. Additional Masses during the day will be at 6:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. Since Christ accomplished his work of human redemption and of the perfect glorification of God principally through his Paschal Mystery, in which by dying he has destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life, the Sacred Paschal Triduum shines forth as the high point of the entire liturgical year. Therefore the preeminence that Sunday has in the week, the Solemnity of Easter has in the entire year. The Sacred Paschal Triduum closes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday (not publicly celebrated at the Cathedral).
CTV Airing Holy Week Services from Cathedral and Rome Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton (CTV) will provide live coverage of the following Holy Week services at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton: Palm Sunday Mass, March 24 at 12:15 p.m. Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 26, at 4:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, March 28, at 5:30 p.m. Good Friday service commemorating the Lord's Passion on March 29 at 12:10 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday, March 30, at 8:00 p.m. CTV will also carry EWTN's coverage of the following Holy Week services from Rome and our nation's capital: * Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square with Pope Francis, live at 4:30 a.m., with an encore at 8:00 p.m. * Chrism Mass with Pope Francis on Thursday, March 28, live at 4:30 a.m. * Mass of the Lord's Supper with Pope Francis on Holy Thursday, live at 12:30 p.m.; with an encore at midnight. * Celebration of the Lord's Passion with Pope Francis, encore Saturday, March 30, at midnight. * Way of the Cross with Pope Francis on Good Friday at 8:30 p.m. * The Seven Last Words of Christ with Father Robert Barron, Good Friday at 8:00 a.m. (3 hours) * Easter Vigil Mass with Pope Francis on Holy Saturday, live at 4 p.m. with an encore at midnight. * Easter Sunday Mass with Pope Francis, live at 4:00 a.m., with an encore at 7:00 p.m. * Pope Francis's Easter Message and Blessing, live Easter Sunday at 6:00 a.m., with encores that day at 6:00 p.m., April 1 at 2:00 a.m. and April 6 at 4:00 p.m. Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land Parishes ofthe Diocese of Scranton will join with those across the world in support of the annual Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land. This pontifical collection enables our parishioners to be witnesses of peace and to help protect the holy places, while also supporting Christians in the Holy Land. The Holy Land Franciscans have been charged with preserving Christian places, providing pastoral care and serving the needy in the Holy Land since 1209. Their tasks include maintaining and caring for the shrines and chapels, operating schools, caring for the poor by providing housing and health care, pastoral ministry, providing spiritual direction for pilgrims, and keeping Christianity alive. "On Good Friday, all Christians are united in a special way to the land that was made holy by God's plan," said the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton. "The continued existence of Franciscan programs in the Holy Land depends on the blessing of faithful support they receive from us - their brothers and sisters in Christ. The Holy Land Franciscans are counting on our assistance. I am most grateful for your generous support of the Good Friday Collection."
Take Action: HHS Mandate Violates Religious Liberty The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) and the Pennsylvania Catholic Health Association (PCHA) have sent a joint letter to Catholic colleges, universities and religious orders in the state urging them to submit comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Congress and the White House in protest of the mandate that violates our religious liberty. The PCC also asked its Catholic Advocacy Network to submit comments; you can become a member by visiting www.pacatholic.org and clicking on "Take Action: HHS Mandate" The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Affordable Care Act, continues to demand coverage of sterilization, contraception and abortion-causing drugs as women's preventative
services. Religious ministries of service - such as charities, schools, health care facilities and institutions of higher education - are given, at best, second-class status under the law in the form of a still-murky "accommodation." As it stands the HHS mandate ignores our nation's foundational freedoms of conscience and religion. The Church and its ministries have been told that we can call ourselves Catholic; we just can't act like we are. The mission of all religious employers is threatened by these regulations, so every Catholic organization and individual should consider submitting comments to HHS, the White House and Congress. A unified response will send a clear message that we will not abandon our religious freedom. Congress is currently considering legislation that would address this issue and HHS is holding an open comment period about its mandate until April 8, 2013. Your comments are needed. Even if you submitted comments in the past, please do so again. Click on this link and forward this message to your family and friends and visit www.pacatholic.org for more information. Cardinal Urges Support For Health Care Conscience Rights Act WASHINGTON-Cardinal Seán O'Malley of Boston, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged members of the U.S. House of Representatives to support the Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013.H.R. 940 was introduced by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) on March 4; the bill has 66 cosponsors. "Protection for conscience rights in health care is of especially great importance to the Catholic Church, which daily contributes to the welfare of American society through a network of schools, social services, hospitals and assisted living facilities," Cardinal O'Malley wrote in a March 8 letter to Congress. "These institutions, which have been part of the Church's ministry since the earliest days of the Republic, arose from religious conviction. They provide a substantial savings to communities and states throughout the nation, and we believe they contribute to the common good." "The legal protections which allow us to fulfill our obligation to serve others, without compromising our religious or moral convictions, are essential to the continued vitality of these ministries," he said. Cardinal O'Malley wrote that "while those protections have long enjoyed bipartisan consensus, they are under greatly increased pressure today." He cited the mandate for coverage of contraception, sterilization and abortifacient drugs and devices under the Affordable Care Act's "preventive services" provision and referred representatives to a letter written by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, who set forth the need for such legislation in greater detail. "A failure to provide clear and enforceable protection for a right of conscience could undermine Americans' access to quality health care. Providers of health care, as well as those who offer or purchase insurance, should not face an unacceptable choice between preserving their religious and moral integrity or participating in our health care system," the cardinal wrote. He closed by urging support for the bill and the incorporation of its policies into upcoming "must-pass" legislation. The full text of Cardinal O'Malley's letter may be found at: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience- protection/upload/letter_to_congress_cardinal_o- Malley_Mar8_2013l.pdf and Archbishop Lori's February 15 letter is available at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-
protection/upload/letter-from-archbishop-lori-to-congress.pdf Diocesan Tribunal Available for Presentations Father Anthony Generose, Judicial Vicar, would like to offer parish clusters and Diocesan regions an opportunity to host a presentation on the process for declaring a marriage null, most commonly known as the annulment process. Father Generose will be available to present the topic on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, or Sunday afternoons during the month of April 2013. Pastors or Episcopal Vicars may arrange a date with Father Generose via email at Rev-Anthony- Generose@dioceseofscranton.org. Office for Parish Life FOCCUS Training Training in the administration of the FOCCUS instrument will be offered at the OPL on Thursday, April 11, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. This training is for beginners as well as those who have been using the survey but have not been trained to do so. Cost is $100 and includes materials and lunch. Priests, deacons and anyone involved in ministry to engaged couples are welcome. Please register at www.foccusinc.org or call the OPL (570-207-2213). The Beginnings Institute - for Parish RCIA Teams in partnership with the North American Forum on the Catechumenate - July 18-20, 2013 The Beginnings Institute is an intensive three-day program that seeks to provide participants with the vision and dynamics of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For registration information, go to : www.naforum.org. Parish Pastoral Council Orientation Workshop Plan now to bring your Parish Pastoral Council for an opportunity to learn together about the purpose and function of the Council. Participants will practice tools and discuss approaches to helping your Council lead the parish in fulfilling its mission. The training is offered by Father Paul Mullen and members of his active Parish Pastoral Council. The host parish is St. Robert Bellarmine, Wilkes-Barre, and the program
will take place at the St. Aloysius Church Hall, 143 West Division Street on Friday, April 5 (6:30-9:00 p.m.) and Saturday, April 6 (9:30 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. with lunch provided). The participants should plan to attend both parts. For questions and to register, contact Jennifer in the Office for Parish Life (570-207-2213). CTV Now on Channel 97 in Hazleton Area Service Electric Cablevision (Hazleton) has moved CTV: Catholic Television from channel 21 to channel 97, effective February 28. Viewers in the Hazleton area can continue to watch programs from the Diocese, including the "Live Daily Mass" from St. Peter's Cathedral, Pontifical Masses celebrated by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, the "Our Faith, Our Diocese" news program, and programs provided by EWTN, on channel 97 beginning on February 28. This change only affects customers of Service Electric Cablevision in the Hazleton area. All other viewers can continue to watch CTV on their regular channels. Mark Your Calendar Palm Sunday Interpreted Mass & Dinner for Catholic Deaf of the Diocese of Scranton, March 24 -- at St. Maria Goretti Church, Laflin. Begins with Confessions at 1 p.m., followed by Solemn Liturgy of Palm Sunday, with blessing of palms, procession and signing of the Lord's Passion, celebrated at 2 p.m. Annual Palm Sunday Dinner follows in the St. Maria Goretti Parish Center. Reservations required; for more information, contact Sister Mary Beth Makuch, SSCM, at 207-2213 ext. 1101 or Timothy Wachs at: tjwtrek@aol.com. Real Estate Availability The Property & Risk Management Division of the Diocese currently maintains a listing of real estate available for sale or use throughout the Diocese. If interested in learning about the available opportunities, please contact Ed Carlin, Property Assets Director, P&RM Division, at 570-558-4310.